The Malik Report

Updated with some “overnight report” stuff at 5:18 AM: Oh, boy. The Free Press’s Helene St. James believes that the Red Wings will announce that Chris Osgood is returning for at least one more season in the Red Wings’ net, and that makes sense to me given that the Wings haven’t signed anyone else already [edit: and NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman’s citing a “report” suggesting that St. James is correct,] but the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan reports that Osgood’s agent was taken by surprise when told that the team will hold a conference call today to announce Osgood’s plans….

The Red Wings have announced a teleconference call for noon today with general manager Ken Holland and goalie Chris Osgood . Neither returned phone calls or text messages Monday. Rollie Thompson, Osgood’s agent, was in the dark, too.

“I came back from my cottage, turned on the computer, and saw there was a news conference for (today),” Thompson said. “It’s all news to me.”

Thompson said he texted Osgood Monday evening and was told Osgood was “meeting with Kenny.” Thompson said he has spoken to Holland in recent weeks, but has yet to discuss any sort of contract issues regarding Osgood.

A source confirmed to The Macomb Daily late Monday that today’s noon conference call, which will include Osgood and Wings general manager Ken Holland, will be to announce the netminder’s retirement. Osgood will take a position with the team to work with young goaltenders within the organization.

Holland did not return calls or text messages looking for a comment. Holland and Osgood were scheduled to meet face-to-face in Vernon, British Columba, where they both have summer homes.

Osgood’s agent, Rollie Thompson, said Monday that he had not spoken to Holland about a new contract for his client. He also hadn’t spoken with Osgood since the Wings announced the noon conference call.

“There have been no contact talks,” Thompson told The Macomb Daily. “There have been no discussions, so I don’t know how there would be a contract.”

Thompson said he talked to Osgood at length, “a good hour,” on Saturday after he met with Holland.

“If he’s still enjoying it and physically able to continue I’d tell him to go for it,” Thompson said. “Sometimes it’s better to go out Gordie Howe style, on a high, rather than coming back and being raked over the coals if things don’t work out.”

After 17 NHL seasons, 14 with the Detroit Red Wings, goalie Chris Osgood will announce his retirement during a noon conference call Tuesday, according to a source close to the team. Red Wings GM Ken Holland will also participate in the conference call. It’s believed Osgood will stay with the Red Wings as a coach, working with young goaltenders.

Osgood, 38, was a member of three Stanley Cup teams in Detroit and earned career victory No. 400 last season as a backup to Jimmy Howard. Osgood has 317 victories with the Red Wings, second only to Terry Sawchuk (352).

Osgood also played for the New York Islanders and the St. Louis Blues. Osgood was a third-round pick (54th overall) by the Red Wings in 1991. He has 401 career victories in 713 regular-season starts, 538 with the Red Wings. He ranks ranks 10th in victories in league history, just two behind former Edmonton Oilers great Grant Fuhr and six behind former Red Wing Glenn Hall.

Osgood’s regular-season goal-against average is 2.49 with a .905 save percentage and 50 shutouts. In 123 playoff starts, 110 with the Red Wings, he was 74-49 with a 2.09 GAA, .916 save percentage and 15 shutouts.

With Osgood’s retirement, Detroit is expected to bring back Ty Conklin as Howard’s backup.

Chris Osgood, the second-winningest goaltender in Detroit Red Wings history, will announce his retirement on Tuesday, a source confirmed to Booth Newspapers on Monday. The announcement will be made during a media conference call with Osgood and general manager Ken Holland. Osgood, 38, has accepted a position with the team and will be working with the organization’s young goalies.

The Red Wings are expected to sign Ty Conklin as their backup goaltender this week.
...
“There has been no contract talks,” Thompson said. “There’s been no discussions, so I don’t know how there would be a contract.”

Holland did not return a call seeking comment. Thompson said he hadn’t spoken to Holland since last week and hadn’t talked to Osgood since Saturday.

“Chris was trying to sort through what his direction was,” Thompson said. “The two of them (Osgood and Holland) were going to talk and then there was going to be a decision.”
...
The Red Wings pursued several goalies through free agency, including Tomas Vokoun, who signed with Washington, Jose Theodore (Florida) and Mike Smith (Phoenix). But all wanted starting roles and weren’t interested in backing up Howard and playing only 20-25 games. Holland also talked extensively with the agent for former Conklin and said last week he was offered a goalie through a trade.

I have absolutely no idea what’s going to happen, but I’d say it’s a coin flip…and either way, half of the Wings fans around will be ticked off that he returns//retires and the other half will be ticked off because he’s doing the other thing.

Update: Okay, so there’s not much in terms of the “overnight report’s” worth of Wings-related stuff, so here’s what I found:

• The Free Press’s Steve Schrader didn’t read the Pavel Datsyuk hockey camp story by the Hockey News’s Rory Boylen and think, “Wow, what a cool dude for doing this for kids in his hometown.” Nope, instead, he asks what exactly Pavel was doing in a Bass Pro Shop (um, shopping for fishing gear? ‘Cause there are pictures of him catching fish on his website, stating that he likes to fish?);

• The Griffins issued the following press release on Monday afternoon, and it left me thinking, “Geez, and we’re complaining about the Wings’ schedule?” because this is the AHL’s version of “balanced”:

The first-ever meetings with the Charlotte Checkers will highlight the Grand Rapids Griffins’ 2011-12 American Hockey League schedule, which will be announced in August.

The schedule format released by the Griffins on Monday features 14 of the AHL’s 29 other teams, including second-year AHL member Charlotte, the top affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Griffins’ 2011-12 schedule will consist of 76 games, all against the Western Conference, including 30 within the North Division, 26 against the West Division and 20 versus the Midwest Division. Grand Rapids’ frequency of games against each opponent is as follows: 10 games (five home, five road) versus Hamilton (North); eight games (four home, four road) versus Oklahoma City (West) and Toronto (North); six games (three home, three road) versus Houston (West), Lake Erie (North) and Rochester (North); and four games (two home, two road) versus Abbotsford, San Antonio and Texas from the West Division, as well as each team in the Midwest Division: Charlotte, Chicago, Milwaukee, Peoria and Rockford.

No inter-conference play, four games against a total of seven teams and ten games against one team and another 24 against 3 more? OUCH!

• TSN’s Scott Cullen tossed off statistics explaining how often players scored goals at even strength during the 2010-2011 season, and all I know is that the Wings didn’t make much hay in that regard, save Danny Cleary, Pavel Datsyuk and…Nicklas Lidstrom…

• Unlike Osgood or Kris Draper, we may not know whether Mike Modano plans on continuing to play hockey for another month, and ESPN Dallas notes that, in the interim, he finished in 9th place in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship;

• And “Dave and Adam’s Card World” in Towanda, New York will be holding an autograph session with Gordie Howe on August 11th, with Howe’s autograph fetching $89 and up.

If he is retiring, it all makes sense because they wouldn’t want to sign his replacement until he had made the announcement (ie, no slam dunk option was available, so they give Osgood the option of deciding whether or not he wants the spot).

If he is not retiring, this all makes sense for the same reasons. No better option had come up, so he comes back.

However, I am in the camp that says they wouldn’t hold a conference call to announce he was coming back, and it would be very odd that his agent didn’t know.

I have always liked Chris Osgood and felt he was under appreciated for how good he has been, especially as one of (if not the) premier money goaltenders of his generation, and if this is it I will be sad to see him go. But when it’s time it’s time and his groin issues have been well documented.

I have always liked Chris Osgood and felt he was under appreciated for how good he has been, especially as one of (if not the) premier money goaltenders of his generation, and if this is it I will be sad to see him go. But when it’s time it’s time and his groin issues have been well documented.

Posted by monkey from bat country on 07/19/11 at 07:10 AM ET

So Martin Brodeur is what, chopped liver?

I do agree with Osgood being one of the premier money goaltenders of their generation, but Brodeur is number one.

There is this little something in the corner of my eye, something that bothers me about Osgood announcing his retirement (if he does indeed do so) over the phone/web/whatever, and that something is a simple question: Wouldn’t Mr. Ilitch want to be with Osgood in person? Unless of course he is and we don’t know it yet…Especially considering Osgood has confirmed his interest in assisting Bedard officially when he does retire.

Of course, in the interest of time (to get a goalie signed or a deal made) this could be a two folder chronicle for The Osgood Files:

Ozzie, The Wizard of Hockeytown Conference Part One: The Retirement Announcement

Followed by:

Ozzie, The Wizard of Hockeytwon Conference Part Two: The Hiring Announcement, Live & In Person!

Gotta love and respect Osgood, but after the injuries and inability to find consistency the last few years, it’s probably time. He will do wonders working as a coach with the goalies within the organization.

But let’s face it. We saw in the Conk’s last tour with the Wings, he is capable of solid play with this club. He is more likely to be consistent enough to play 30 games effectively to keep Howard FRESH, instead of overworked like he has been the last two seasons.

But let’s face it. We saw in the Conk’s last tour with the Wings, he is capable of solid play with this club. He is more likely to be consistent enough to play 30 games effectively to keep Howard FRESH, instead of overworked like he has been the last two seasons.
Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 07/19/11 at 09:03 AM ET

I hope you’re right, bro. Conklin’s past two seasons with the Blues have my overall goaltending duo concern-meter up to Cheveldae/Riendeau levels heading into this season.

Fair enough, but the Wings don’t need a 1A and 1B, they need someone that can go out there every third or fourth game, and pretty much be a lock to keep the other time at or below 3 goals, and stay healthy for the duration of the season.

As great as Osgood was in the ‘09 playoffs, as a whole body of work, he hasn’t been a

consistently

good goalie since ‘07-‘08.

Howard has proven he’s a #1. Now we just need someone we can count on to keep Howard’s work load manageable.

I wouldn’t accuse the team of quitting on Osgood. But I will say that when he was in net (last season in particular) they played with less confidence, collapsed more, and were far less assertive offensively.

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